Des Moines, Iowa - On Dec. 21, 2017, sentencings were completed in the federal
prosecution of twenty defendants charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, obstruction,
firearms, and immigration offenses stemming from the investigation of a multi-state drug
trafficking organization, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. This investigation
began in March 2016 and revealed the organization was involved in the distribution of
methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana in the Des Moines area. Subsequent
investigation consisted of controlled narcotics purchases from the organization and the execution
of over twenty search warrants of residences located in Des Moines, Colorado, and California in
September 2016. All defendants charged in this investigation pleaded guilty and were sentenced
by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger.
* Jacinto Loza Gil, 48, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 292 months
* Jonathan Escareno Chavez, 28, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 210 months
* Gumaro Escareno Chavez, 33, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 90 months
* Jairo Escareno Chavez, 27, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 71 months
* Heriberto Escareno Chavez, 34, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 108 months
* Dennis Ugarte, 28, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 46 months
* Mujo Becirovic, 26, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 73 months
* Israel Morales Flores, 33, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 63 months
* Jose Manuel Cano Basurto, 43, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 37 months
* Basman Danuvio Urbina Caceres, 42, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 100 months
* David Coos Tello, 49, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 24 months
* Marcos Caballero Ybarra, 30, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 4 months
* Hugo Plaza Garcia, 19, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of time served (4 months)
* Lee Anthony Flores Escareno, 27, sentenced to a term of probation of five years
* Jimmy Oswald Kiapas Hidalgo, 28, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 24 months
* Antonio Salazar, 48, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of time served (15 months)
* Helen Mariela Osorio Ventura, 22, sentenced to a term of probation of four years
* Oscar Corea Holt, 21, sentenced to a term of probation of three years
* Miguel Flores Torres, 39, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 8 months
* Steven A. See, 31, sentenced to a term of probation of three years
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal
Investigations, with significant assistance of numerous state and local agencies, including
Des Moines Police Department and Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. The case was
prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
